Connecticut outlasts the Storm 88-83
A fun competitive game versus Connecticut that saw Seattle on the losing side again.
(Uncasville, Connecticut) - Once again the Seattle Storm fell short to the Connecticut Sun in a game between two of the top four teams in the WNBA. After dominating Connecticut in 2020 and 2021, Seattle lost all three games to them in 2022. Even with the addition of Tina Charles, it wasn’t enough to get over the hump. This was the most competitive game of the three as the other two games saw the Sun win by larger margins. But in the end, Connecticut out-executed the Storm late in the game and held on to an 88-83 victory.
It was an important victory for Connecticut (20-9) who not only sweeps the season series against Seattle but has also created some distance from the Storm (18-11) in the standings. With just seven games remaining the Storm are now three full games behind the Sun (factoring in the tiebreaker). Seattle’s best chance to move up in the standings now relies on them beating the Las Vegas Aces two more times to end the year and hoping they get a little more help along the way.
One of the most disappointing aspects of Thursday’s loss to Connecticut is the fact that the Storm actually played really well and it still wasn’t good enough. All five of Seattle’s starters scored in double figures. In fact, all five starters scored at least 14 points! Breanna Stewart led the scoring with 17 points. Tina Charles had her third consecutive double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Gabby Williams may have had her best game of the season with 16 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a blocked shot. Even Sue Bird, who hasn’t been scoring much lately, came up with 14 points and a team-high seven assists. Jewell Loyd rounded out the group with 14 points on 5-10 FG shooting including making both of her three-point attempts.
“Connecticut is tough! I thought we had a lot of positives. All starters were in double figures and we shot the ball well. We rebounded decently for the majority of the game. I just thought our turnovers really impacted us. Crucial moments of the game, whether it was not being locked into things schematically on defense. Overall, I’m proud of the effort and energy. This road trip isn’t going to get any easier so I’ve got to prepare for the next one.” Coach Quinn said in her opening statement.
Seattle coughed up 16 turnovers as Connecticut was able to score 17 points off of those turnovers.
I asked Coach Quinn if she was more encouraged by the fact the starters played so well or discouraged because those players had such great games and the team still lost.
“I think it’s half and half. I’m encouraged that our starters are finding their groove. Everyone was over 50% shooting. I think the other aspect is that our bench needs to stay consistent and elevate us. They need to find their confidence and their rhythm. That will help us as well because of our depth that we always talk about. I’d like to have a lot more balance if possible. To have everyone clicking on all cylinders. If we can continue to have all five score in double figures, coupled with an excellent effort from our bench, I think we’ll be in a good spot.” Quinn stated.
The Connecticut Sun
This victory was huge for Connecticut. It locked up a playoff spot which is now the 6th consecutive year they’ve reached the post-season. More importantly, by sweeping Seattle and now putting some distance between themselves and the Storm in the standings, the Sun have almost guaranteed themselves a Top 3 seed in the 2022 playoffs.
What’s frustrating about this game from Seattle’s perspective is that all of Seattle’s starters scored 14 points or more and defensively the team did a great job containing both DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones who have put up big numbers against them in the first two games. Bonner did have a double-double but was held relatively in check with her scoring as she had just 12 points in this game. Seattle did an even better job against the 2021 MVP limiting Jonquel Jones to just nine points and four rebounds.
Connecticut’s bench played a huge factor in the victory outscoring Seattle’s reserves 30-8. Brionna Jones continues to be a matchup problem for Seattle as she scored 13 points and had five rebounds off the bench. She also got to the free throw line more than any other player in the game and connected on 5-6 FT. Dijonai Carrington created problems for Seattle as well, coming off of Connecticut’s bench to score 11 points on 3-4 FG shooting. They also got 12 points from Courtney Williams.
By far the Sun’s most impressive player was Alyssa Thomas who seemed to dominate the flow of the game at times. Her ability to play Point-Forward has been really impressive this season, especially with the team’s starting point guard (Jasmine Thomas) out for the year with a torn ACL.
AT was a big reason Connecticut out-paced Seattle 13-8 in fast break points. Thomas also led all players in scoring and assists in this game as she put up an impressive double-double with 19 points and 11 assists. She also had five rebounds and two steals.
Statistically, both teams were very even which makes sense since this game went down to the wire. Ultimately, Connecticut was just slightly better in some areas including out-rebounding Seattle 31-28. They also had a small edge in assists over the Storm 22-18 and four more free throw attempts (16-18 compared to 12-14). The Sun also outscored Seattle 44-40 inside the paint. All minor differences but enough to make the difference at the final buzzer.
Game Breakdown
Tina Charles found Sue Bird who knocked down a triple to begin the game. Courtney Williams was able to score on the other end for Connecticut. Charles got deep post position but couldn’t convert the layup. However, Gabby Williams was able to snag the offensive rebound and lay it back in. After Courtney Williams made another corner shot, Bird hit her second three of the game. Then Gabby Williams sank a three of her own. This allowed Seattle to get out to a 13-4 run to begin the game.
Jonquel Jones continued to be a menace in the low post and with her rebounds. She was able to convert another offensive rebound to two more points for Connecticut. After trailing 20-10, Connecticut used their fast break offense to get past Seattle’s zone and scored four straight points with each layup coming in transition.
The Sun finished the quarter on an 11-4 run as Seattle led 24-21 at the end of the first period. Sue Bird led the way with eight points for the Storm. Courtney Williams and Alyssa Thomas had six points each for Connecticut.
Seattle offered zero resistance on the final play of the quarter which was frustrating to watch.
DeWanna Bonner scored early in the 2nd quarter. Then the refs just started blowing the whistle every five seconds. DiJonai Carrington and Nia Clouden hit back-to-back three-point baskets for the Sun to tie the game at 30-30. Gabby then had a nice steal and crossed her defender over to finish on the right side of the rim.
Bird hit another three and Stewart had a nice mid-range jumper over Jonquel Jones to put the Storm back up six points. Carrington then was able to get to the rim to complete an AND1 and then was fouled again to score five quick points.
Loyd hit a three but then Alyssa Thomas drove through the lane for an easy two. Then pick-pocketed Sue Bird, knocking her over and steam-rolling down the lane for another two. Thomas was all over the place making an impact in the first half. She led all scorers with 12 points.
Connecticut finished the 2nd quarter on a 13-3 run. Carrington and Thomas were the primary scorers during that run.
The Sun led by four points at the break (44-40). Thomas (12 points), Carrington (8), and Courtney Williams (8) led Connecticut in scoring through the first two quarters. Seattle was led by Sue Bird (11 points), Breanna Stewart (8), and Gabby Williams (7).
Both teams shot the ball pretty well in the first half. Seattle had the slight edge shooting 48% (15-31) and Connecticut was right behind at 47% (16-34). Surprisingly, Seattle had a 16-13 advantage in rebounding despite Connecticut’s size advantage.
Connecticut scored four quick points to take an early eight-point lead in the third quarter. Loyd was able to get into the lane for two points and then Charles scored five more points for Seattle but the Sun continued to pour it on. Bonner hit back-to-back three-pointers and in between that Jonquel Jones got another easy layup off of a deep post position. With the Sun leading by nine points (56-47), Coach Quinn was forced to call a timeout.
Gabby Williams was able to make back-to-back baskets and then Tina Charles added two more. Sue Bird hit a three and Seattle regained the lead on a pair of Stewart free throws.
The two teams continued to battle back and forth. The Sun would go on a 7-0 run to regain the lead late in the third period. Loyd drove into the lane to draw the foul and made both free throws to cut the deficit back down to four. Connecticut led 72-68 as the team’s entered the 4th quarter.
The Sun started the fourth lighting it up again. Carrington hit a three, then Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones got easy points in the paint. Another 7-0 run by Connecticut extended their lead to nine points (79-70).
Seattle would not give up. Loyd made back-to-back baskets in the paint and then Gabby made a beautiful outlet pass to Stewart who finished at the rim cutting the Sun’s lead back down to three points and forcing Coach Curt Miller to call a timeout.
Stewart would hit a corner three out of the timeout to tie the game at 79-79. Seattle would then get a defensive stop but no one boxed out Brionna Jones who scooped the ball back up and laid it in. Brionna would later get fouled down low and connected on both free throws. Stewart would score again in the paint and then Gabby Williams might have made the play of the season as she deflected Bonner’s pass in the air and then grabbed the ball to get the steal. She then drove down the other end against Bonner and performed a spin move to finish at the rim. It’s much better if you just watch it.
On the very next possession, Natisha Hiedeman would drill a three-pointer from the top of the arch. It would prove to be the game-winner. With about two and a half minutes left in the game, Seattle would have their chances but they were simply unable to execute down the stretch. They had six offensive possessions and during that run committed three turnovers and missed all three of their field goal attempts.
It’s disappointing for the team because defensively they came up with some big stops. They actually stopped Connecticut from scoring on five possessions during the final two and a half minutes, forcing them into a couple of turnovers and multiple missed shots. But they just couldn’t execute on the other end as the Sun held on to win the game 88-83.
I spoke with Sue Bird and asked her if she felt the team was pressing or rushed those final possessions because of the late-game turnovers and missed shots.
“No, we just didn’t make the plays and they did. Games do come down to final possessions, don’t get me wrong. And you want to come through in those moments. But if you look at the game as a whole, I think it was more-so turnovers, points off of turnovers, because those are controllable. Sometimes at the end of the game, we’re trying to execute and they’re trying to stop us and somebody’s going to win that battle. But turnovers are more in our control. And that’s really where I look instead of just those last possessions that you’re talking about.” Bird answered.
I wanted to get Coach Quinn’s take on those final moments as well.
“I don’t like the fact that Stewie didn’t get the calls that were needed, especially in the paint. She had two hands on her, people were wrapping her. I think she needs to get a lot more respect when it comes down to the physicality that she gets on a nightly basis. I think we were rushed. We had 11 turnovers in the first half and just five in the second half. Again, it was just the timely ones that we have to grow and get better. I’ll live or die with the best player in the world taking those shots. I thought she got clean looks but also got bumped in the paint. The turnovers hurt us a bit. After those possessions, they missed two layups. We had an opportunity to capitalize on that and we didn’t.” Quinn said after the game.
Additional Analysis
Is Sue Bird Being Aggressive Enough?
One thing that’s really stood out to me lately is how passive Sue Bird has been with her shot. We all know Sue Bird is a pass-first point guard. She’s never been like Diana Taurasi, looking to score 20+ points every single night but that doesn’t mean she can’t score. Bird has made a career out of hitting clutch shots in big moments. She’s never been afraid of those opportunities.
However, as her final season nears the end I’ve noticed her looking for her shot less and less. It’s one thing to not be averaging double-digit points this season (only the 2nd time in her career) if she’s shooting a lot but missing all of her shots. But recently it’s felt like she hasn’t looked to shoot the ball at all.
Since the All-Star break and prior to Thursday’s contest, Bird has had four field goal attempts or fewer per game in five of her last six games. In a 16-point loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Bird took just one shot in the entire game (and made it).
Prior to the Connecticut Sun game, I spoke with Bird over Zoom about this and if she felt she was being aggressive enough on the offensive end.
“It’s a balance, one that I naturally would find throughout the course of a game. It really just depends on how the game is going. I also know, it’s not about shots, it’s more about aggressiveness. I know that if I’m aggressive, that can unlock things for the entire team. There have been these past few games where I’ve only taken one shot or just three or four maybe. I don’t feel like I’m turning down shots but I do feel as if I could be a little more aggressive. If that leads to a shot, so be it. It might lead to other things, it can open up things in different ways.” Bird told me.
Now I’m not going to take credit for her performance against Connecticut, but it sure was nice to see her be much more aggressive in this game. Bird got off to a hot start scoring eight points in the first quarter and she led the team in scoring with 11 points at halftime. She finished with 14 points which were the most points she’s scored since June 17th (also against Connecticut). Funny enough, her season-high was against Connecticut on June 5th where she scored 17 points. Maybe there’s something about the matchup against the Sun specifically that’s brought out Bird’s best offensive performances this season.
After Thursday’s contest, I spoke with Coach Noelle Quinn about Bird’s offense and what it means if she’s being more aggressive.
“It opens up a lot because teams then have to adjust their defenses a little bit. A lot of teams we’ve been facing, they’re going under her (on screens). That’s not normal. It’s about her being aggressive and utilizing areas on the floor where she can get to her spots. But also, I think she’s been passing up some shots. I think the last game, against Atlanta in the zone. There is a balance that needs to happen but when she’s aggressive, she’s not going to take bad shots. She’s always going to make the correct play. I think it opens up for everyone else when she’s a threat on the floor offensively.” Quinn told me.
I talked with Gabby Williams about it as well and she had this to say.
“It’s weird to say something about her is underrated but her ability to score is very underrated because everything else she does is so great. It opens up a lot for us because people are expecting the pass or the kick. When your best passer is looking to score it’s really hard to guard.” Williams added.
Speaking of Gabby, that brings us to the next topic.
Unlocking Gabby Williams
Gabby Williams may be the most frustrating player to watch for the Storm this season. But it’s not because she’s a bad player. It’s because we’ve seen glimpses of the immense talent she possesses but she’s still learning how to consistently tap into it and put it all together. Not unlike some of the anime characters she enjoys watching, Gabby has yet to reach her final form.
On Thursday, we saw the talent on full display. Williams scored 16 points, pulled down nine rebounds, dished out four assists, had three steals, and picked up a blocked shot to cap it off. It’s hard for a player to have much more of an impact on a game than the one Williams had.
“I thought today she was just playing free. Her activity defensively, her athleticism to go get rebounds. She’s one of our players that consistently gets downhill and inside the paint. And today, I thought she actually attacked the rim instead of getting down and dishing. She picked her spots to turn the corner and finish. When Gabby plays at a high level we’re better. She consistently gives us effort defensively. When she adds an offensive punch it gives us a huge lift!” Coach Quinn spoke on the potential of Gabby Williams.
When Seattle traded away Katie Lou Samuelson and their first-round draft pick for Gabby Williams I wasn’t convinced the Storm got the better end of that trade. I knew Gabby was the much better defender but I felt Katie Lou had more offensive upside. While both players have struggled early in their WNBA careers they both still had a ton of potential.
From what we’ve seen this year, I think it’s fair to say the trade has been a Win-Win for both teams. Samuelson has been the better offensive player averaging nearly 11 PPG this season compared to Williams’ 6.5 PPG. However, Gabby’s all-around game shows up as she’s averaging more rebounds (5.0 RPG to 2.7 RPG for Lou), assists (2.8 APG to 2.0 APG), and steals (1.4 SPG to 0.8 SPG).
Williams will be a free agent this off-season and pending any issues with the overseas teams and the prioritization clause I would expect Seattle’s front office to do what they can to re-sign Gabby to a new contract.
There is too much untapped potential we’ve yet to see. Looking back at the evolution of Alysha Clark, it took AC into her 5th WNBA season before she became a legit scoring option/threat for the team. Williams is currently in her fourth season and could be on the precipice of taking her game to a whole other level next season.
After Thursday’s game in Connecticut, I spoke with Sue Bird about Gabby’s potential moving forward.
“The best thing about Gabby is she has a skillset and athletic ability that’s really hard to teach. She just plays a certain way. We’re talking about this year with this team, as she continues to figure out her spots it’s such a big addition to our team. When Gabby is being aggressive, like she said, whether it’s creating for herself, or creating for others. Again, I go back to her size and athletic ability at the three spot. Today, I told her you might have to go get us 10 boards. But she has that ability and not many guards can do that. At the same time, her ability off the dribble to create for herself, she was able to finish at the rim a bunch, but the combination of that with her passing, do you know what I mean? If teams want to play off of her she can get in there and create for herself and create for others. It makes her a tough guard. It’s funny because I feel, to your point, we’re still unlocking Gabby a little bit. Gabby is unlocking herself. We’re still figuring that out and luckily we still have a bunch more games to do that before we head into the playoffs. But I’m really proud of her because it’s tough to come to a new team and come to camp late, which is not her fault. And try to figure it out when we’re all getting to know each other. I’m really proud of her for staying with it and we’ve seen it in spots and today is a really good sign of things to come.” Bird spoke highly of Gabby’s potential.
I then asked Gabby if this type of performance can give her more confidence moving forward.
“I think I hold myself back in these instances. And then seeing myself do it, and seeing a couple of baskets go in it’s like alright now I can find my rhythm. Now the next shot goes in. I’m seeing how I can create for others. I’m learning where people like to get the ball and where they like their spots. I’m seeing plays before they happen. That just comes with time. My teammates have been really patient with me. Coaches have been breaking down a lot of film for me. Sue’s sending me film as well. Just those little things. I’m a player, Sue said Gabby go get 10 rebounds today, and my mind is like ‘Go get those 10 rebounds!’ That’s just my mindset, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help the team.” Williams added.
More Zone Defense
Is it just me or are we seeing a lot more zone defense in the WNBA lately? Seattle has certainly been going to the zone a lot this year that’s for sure. Against the Connecticut Sun, I understand the thought process behind it. Connecticut has so much size on its roster.
A Zone Defense’s strength is that it tends to clog the paint and make it more difficult to score easier baskets near the rim. It can also benefit players that are slower or less athletic as it’s easier to defend a certain portion of the court than it is a player that may be running all around the court and over and through screens, etc.
I don’t fully understand Seattle’s reliance on the zone lately because they have several individual defenders that I would consider “plus defenders” including Breanna Stewart, Ezi Magbegor, Gabby Williams, Jewell Loyd, and Stephanie Talbot.
Of course, there are weaknesses to the zone defensive schemes which is why you’re more likely to see it heavily implemented with younger basketball teams (middle school to college). Professional teams in the NBA and WNBA are usually able to beat the zone more often than not.
Zones can clog up the paint but give up a ton of open outside shots and threes. Connecticut made 42% (8-19 FG) from beyond the arc. Alyssa Thomas also found the open areas near the free throw line to score a lot of mid-range jumpers. It is also susceptible to giving up offensive rebounds because defensive players in a zone aren’t specifically guarding an individual player that they can then box out for a rebound when a shot goes up.
Even though Seattle played zone for nearly the entire game they still ended up giving up 44 points in the paint. They weren’t even able to limit the Sun’s paint touches.
After the game, I spoke with Coach Quinn about Zone defense.
“I think the league’s adjusted as Defensive 3-seconds adjusted. I would want to see the numbers based on that. Before Defensive 3-second (calls) you’d see a ton of zones. You think back to those Phoenix teams where Diana would be in that rover because you’re just able to sit in the paint. Even thinking about the old Sacramento teams, they were in that white line defense. Indiana where their help side was just sitting in the paint, that had zone principles to it. But once you’ve got Defensive 3-seconds and the ability to shoot the three and extend that three-point line. It’s difficult to want to utilize the zone because of what happens. Especially, with the threes and the offensive rebounds. For us, we’re adjusting and trying to figure out how we can utilize that. It’s not that we’re resting but to find possessions where we can disrupt and not have to worry about defending one-on-one or in isolated positions on the floor.” Quinn explained.
Jersey Count
Seattle wore their green and white “Heroine” uniforms in this game but was unable to pull out the victory. The loss means the team falls to 9-5 on the season while wearing that specific jersey combination. They now have the most wins AND the most losses while wearing the “Heroine” jersey. The loss to Connecticut hurts Seattle a lot if the team was hoping to improve their seeding before the playoffs begin. For now, the Storm remain as the 4th overall seed but are now three full games behind Connecticut with seven left to play. They are also at serious risk of losing homecourt advantage altogether if they continue to falter down the stretch. Seattle is behind the Chicago Sky (21-7), the Las Vegas Aces (20-8), and the Connecticut Sun (20-9). They are also now tied with the Washington Mystics (18-11).
Records per jersey type this season:
Rebel: 7-2
Explorer: 2-4
Heroine: 9-5
Overall Record: 18-11
Up Next
Seattle will face the Washington Mystics back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Both games are early for those of us on the West Coast. Saturday’s game begins at 9:00 AM local time. Sunday’s rematch will be at Noon (DST). The two teams are tied in the standings with 18 wins and 11 losses. If either team is able to win both games it’ll give them a huge advantage heading into the playoffs.
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Photo Credits to Neil Enns/Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography Team
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